We just went to Rutherford Pancake House for dinner, and they've got vegan chocolate lava cake on the dessert menu now. It is amazingly good. This may be partially because I love lava cake and I haven't had it in years, but really, I think it that objectively was still pretty darn good.

I got the seitan marsala, which was pretty good, but nothing special. I don't think I've ever had anything marsala before, though, so I don't know how well I normally like it. My parents tasted it and both said, "Yeah, that tastes marsala-y."

I'm in Cape May, and I've tried a couple places so far. It seems like most places either have something vegan on the menu or something vegetarian that can easily be made vegan, like a pasta dish without cheese, and most of those were pretty good, and more than I'd expected, and it was nice to be able to just walk up to restaurants and not have to negotiate my meal.

One restaurant that was REALLY good, though, is Bella Vida in West Cape May. They've got several veg*n options, and the chef really knows what he's doing. The food was delicious. I got a Caribbean plate, with rice and beans, fried plantains, and pineapple mango salsa. The house salad dressing and the pesto oil that come with the bread aren't vegan, but if you ask, they'll bring out a (still very good) vegan dressing and some plain olive oil. The restaurant has Jesus Loves You type stuff all over the place, including in the bathroom, which was kind of weird, but whatever. I think we might be going back there for breakfast sometime, so I'll see how that is.

We just went to the Chalfonte, which is this really big old historic hotel with a restaurant that's supposed to be great. My feeling is, don't bother. They have a different menu each day, with one vegetarian entree, and we called ahead and let them know that there would be a vegan, and while the vegetarian entree tonight was a mushroom ravioli with caramelized onions and spinach, the vegan entree that he prepared for me was just some roasted vegetables (in oil with some herbs -- OK, but nothing special) and plain farro.

URGH. i was in asbury park very much looking forward to going to twisted tree this afternoon and they were closed for mother's day. what the fizzle kind of restaurant CLOSES FOR MOTHERS DAY. i could have screamed.

Esme they have the strangest hours. They also are often out of a lot of what's on the menu.When you do get there - I love the meatballs with this roasted red pepper sauce (and normally I loathe red pepper sauce).Great desserts.

Bella Vida doesn't have much vegan on their breakfast menu, but you can get the lunch stuff at breakfast time, and it's pretty good. I got a BLT with avocado, which I really liked.

The Washington Inn is a pretty good option for fancy dinner with omnis. They've got a vegan special each night. From what I can tell from reviews online, the special is always roasted vegetables with pesto and polenta, but it's pretty good, and the atmosphere there is really nice. My roasted vegetable plate was eggplant, zucchini, pepper, tomato, and mushroom, but one of the other reviews mentioned ramps and fiddleheads.

We went to Mad Batter for breakfast, and again, I ordered from the lunch menu. They've got a black bean wrap on the lunch menu, and black bean cakes on the dinner menu. I only tried the black bean wrap, but I thought it was very good. Like Bella Vida, though, I wish they had some actual vegan breakfast options -- burrito for breakfast is fine with me, but having the option of pancakes or waffles would be great.

Last night, we went to Martini Beach, where, for once, the special vegan dish was not grilled vegetables. It was Persian vegetable stew, which was very nicely done, good spices and a nice sauce, and it came with basmati rice. I also tried the roasted onion hummus, which was good, but nothing amazing.

Today, we went to Gecko's for lunch. It's Southwestern food, and there are a bunch of veg options on the menu, and things that can be made vegan by leaving off the cheese. I tried getting guacamole instead of the sour cream, but they charged $3 for about two tablespoons of guac. The food was good other than that, though.

Anybody going to be around Atlantic City/Margate or Egg Harbor Township next week? I'll be there visiting my grandmother but would love to see anyone who would be around...or if anyone knows of new places with veg options?

_________________"I think I am going to turn into a chickpea." ~DakiniLove is like a pineapple, sweet and undefinable~ Piet Hein

sorry I haven't had a chance to go through all ten pages yet, but I'm going to Linden, NJ for a couple of days next week (staying right by the airport) and am hoping there is some vegan friendly place to eat in a distance manageable without a car. Any ideas?

Thanks!

_________________Imma let you finish, but the Paranthropus Boisei were the greatest vegans ever.

Ugh I saw all these cave paintings complaining about vegan cheese options. I don't miss those days. -Isa

I posted on a shore thread, but didn't realize it was in the Philly forum, so thought I'd post here as well.

I'm heading to Ocean City next week and was wondering if you guys had any other suggestions besides Bashful Banana. Also does the grocery store have a good selection of vegan convenience foods? Our shore house will be packed with family members and I don't think my Italian grandma will let me take over the kitchen to make a full meal if what she is making involves meat. Any vegan options for somebody whose shore memories are highly influenced by browns donuts, mack and mancos pizza, and khors brothers custard?

I posted on a shore thread, but didn't realize it was in the Philly forum, so thought I'd post here as well.

I'm heading to Ocean City next week and was wondering if you guys had any other suggestions besides Bashful Banana. Also does the grocery store have a good selection of vegan convenience foods? Our shore house will be packed with family members and I don't think my Italian grandma will let me take over the kitchen to make a full meal if what she is making involves meat. Any vegan options for somebody whose shore memories are highly influenced by browns donuts, mack and mancos pizza, and khors brothers custard?

Ocean City is hard as far as I remember. There is a grocery store, but it's an Acme or SuperFresh if I remember correctly. So I wouldn't bank on it having any vegan food. It would probably be better to bring what you want with you.

As far as vegan versions of boardwalk the boardwalk food we all know and love, GOOD LUCK! If it exist let me know!

Mack and Manco's, shame on you! Sams is where it's at. But I'm a Wildwood girl through and through. I didn't start going to Ocean City until I was older because my uncle used to own a house there.

yeah, your options are acme and superfresh. both have a few veggie burgers and tofu, but that's about it. we go to OC every year too and it's sad that there's basically nothing to eat.

oh! i just remembered. there was a new place on the boardwalk last year that had tacos. they had a veggie/black bean taco that was pretty yummy. i forget exactly where it is, but i'm pretty sure it's near the end of the boardwalk (15th street end).also, burritos at... i forget the name mojos? mojo something?and one of the chinese places in town has some veg stuff like general tsos.

there's at least one place with veg sushi and the greek place on 9th street (sorry, i'm blanking on ALL THE NAMES) has some ok veg mediterranean food.

but, honestly, there's nothing outstanding or even REALLY good in town and it's a bummer.

_________________I'm one of those vegans that cuts corners when it comes to things like breastfeeding and stabbing you in the face~PranjalThat story would be adorable if it didn't end with herpes. ~Mo

Kaya's Kitchen had wonderful food, but their AC at least at the front of the restaurant, was barely working. It was nearly 90F outside and we kept having to go outside to cool off. They absolutely refused to reseat us, even though our babies were crying from the heat and we were sweating. I had a reservation for 7 adults and 4 kids that they bungled and made 7 total with 4 high chairs, despite the fact that I went over it multiple times when I made the reservation. I don't ever care about bungles, as long as you fix them and are pleasant about it. But the hostess was just rude. And the fact that they thought it was ok to seat 4 families with very young kids in that sauna was just shitty.

The food was good and I will go back (because there aren't a lot of other Shore options), but I won't take a big party, go on a hot day or during dinner service, and I will refuse to be seated in the front part of the house. Seriously, you run a restaurant that caters to beach patrons - AC is a must! If they were catering to omnis they'd never survive, but the lack of other options and their very good food means that they're going to hang around.

If Good Karma were larger, I'd go there over Kaya's.

_________________My oven is bigger on the inside, and it produces lots of wibbly wobbly, cake wakey... stuff. - The PoopieB.

If no one knows anything about Brewed Awakenings, maybe there's some other kid-friendly and vegan-friendly lunch spot in Metuchen? I am supposed to be meeting a friend there and I am not sure where would be a good place to meet that satisfies both of those requirements. Thanks!